Saving Money Using the Grocery Store Salad Bar

by Haley on April 29, 2012

Anyone who’s spent any time reading my blog knows how often I use the grocery store salad bar when cooking. Not only is it super convenient – it also is a great way to save money on food. Knowing a few tips and tricks, as well as which ingredients are cheaper at the salad bar than bought individually can help make cooking cheaper and less stressful.

Keep in mind that most of the items at the grocery store salad bar are marked up. However, there are some definite deals to be had. The best way to use the salad bar for savings is to buy certain items you need for a recipe – not to eat a whole meal. For example:

Buying 1/2 cup of dried cranberries or walnuts for a cookie recipe instead of buying an entire bag

Purchasing crumbled bacon bits to add to a salad instead of buying an entire package and frying it yourself

Buying a small amount of Feta cheese and roasted garlic (pictured below) to top superfood pizza

Knowing which grocery store salad bar items are a good deal – and those that are marked up significantly – can help you save a lot of money.

What’s Cheaper (and What’s More Expensive) at the Salad Bar

The percentage of savings listed below is based on a $5.99/pound salad bar. I have seen salad bars up to $7.99/pound, so use extra caution before filling up your container. This information comes from the September, 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine:

[…] the grocery store salad bar – Certain food items are cheaper when bought at the grocery store salad bar. The best way to use the salad bar to help cut down on costs is to buy just what you need instead […]

Re: container size
They do not charge you for packaging as far as I know. Stores are legally required to tabulate the weights of the different packages and deduct them (implicit in the price) at the register. They regularly get tested by the state “weights and measures” department.

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